The New Illinois Motorcycle Wheelie Law

How much do you love popping wheelies on the freeway as you come home from a long day at work? Do you love it enough to risk a $100 fine? How about loving it enough to risk jail time?

If you live in the lovely state of Illinois, January 1st saw a new law go into effect that specifically targets motorcycles and other two-wheeled vehicles from riding on one wheel, taking both hands off of the handlebars at the same time while the bike is in motion or sitting/standing on any part of a motorcycle that isn't an actual motorcycle seat.

More of the cruiser type? Hope you don't love those ape hangers that you installed. This new law also prohibits motorcycle handlebars that reach higher than the rider's head.

In all instances, Illinois Senate Bill 3452 dishes out a $100 fine for all first time offences. Get caught twice? Pay up to $1,500 and spend six months behind bars. And if you're smart enough to do it a third time after all of that, you can expect to pay $2,500 and hang up your motorcycle jacket to spend an entire year in jail.

While most places make these same offenses illegal under the usual "reckless driving" umbrella, it's interesting that Illinois has taken it a step further to single out motorcyclists. And after all of the debate over motorcycle only checkpoints, I'm sure this will spark up another conversation about targeting motorcyclists especially when dangerously popping wheelies on the freeway or public streets is already an illegal act. Not to mention the severity of the law. For instance, we all know the dangerous of car drivers who text and drive, yet if you're caught doing that, you won't be sent to jail.

Does Illinois really have that big of a problem with stunters? Here's the full law. Fast forward to page 18 for the wheelie law.